The Joy Factory is a brand new kid on the block; founded in 2010, the company has made a variety of accessories for iPad and iPhone including cases, stands, mounting and power solutions. Perhaps the most eye-catching product in the line up is the uniquely designed RainBallet case for the iPhone 4. Made to resist damage from rain, water jets, sweat or splashes, the RainBallet for iPhone 4 meets IPX5 and iPX7 waterproof standards and allows you to make and receive phone calls, take photos and video, make FaceTime video calls and more with your iPhone 4 in the case. And if you are going to the beach, put your iPhone 4 in RainBallet and never have to worry about water getting on your phone again!

Design

The RainBallet case for iPhone 4 looks like nothing else we?ve seen. It has a bulky exterior yet the chamber for the iPhone 4 is very form fitting. The RainBallet is sealed to prevent water sipping in, and comes with a small coin tool to seal the case with 3 built-in screws on the back. Once you tighten the screws, there should be no gap between the front and back portions of the case. Even though the RainBallet case isn?t slim measuring 0.8? in thickness, it has a unique cool look, especially the back that looks like half pipes with brushed metal screws. The case is made with hard plastic that?s very sturdy and weighs 2.4 ounces. The included coin tool comes with a lanyard and you can attach it to the lanyard holder on the bottom of the case.

Features

The RainBallet case for iPhone 4 opens at the bottom, and you need to slide your iPhone 4 first in the bottom and push it into the case. Close the back cover which has some soft gasket pieces to secure the iPhone 4 in place, then make sure you line the two pieces of the case together, push them together tightly, and use the coin tool to tighten the three back screws until they are aligned with the white lines. Now your case is waterproof. The RainBallet case for iPhone 4 meets IPX5 and IPX7 standards; which means it can block water jets and survive 3-feet submergence. We couldn?t test it in the rain as we are experiencing the driest summer in many years, but we did run faucet over the case and dunk it in the pool. The case and our iPhone 4 came out of these tests bone dry without a hint of moisture linking through the case.

The RainBallet case for iPhone 4 offers access to the Home button, front and rear cameras and lets audio through thanks to company?s Intelli-filter technology. While your iPhone 4 is in the RainBallet case, you can use the display via a layer of protective plastic cover that?s reasonably responsive. You do need to press harder to control the touch screen under the screen cover. The case has clear lens covers for both camera, and you can take sharp pictures with the iPhone 4 inside of the RainBallet. The special lens covers, Sharpvue lenses, turn your iPhone 4 into an underwater camera and video recorder. Even though the back lens cover looks like it?s in the way of the iPhone 4 camera, it doesn?t obscure the view of the camera.

You can also make calls or take calls while your phone is in the case. The RainBallet lets sound through both the built-in speaker and earpiece for phone calls, conference calls and music and video playback. You do loose some volume and stereo quality when you play music or video through the case, but not by that much. Voice calls are quite clear, and outgoing voice has good quality and volume.

Conclusion

One of the very unique looking cases, the RainBallet from The Joy Factory is a more attractive rugged case for the iPhone 4. The waterproof features make this case a great choice for the beach, boating or lounging around the pool. The case is reasonably functional and lets you make calls, take underwater photos/videos and play music or video. You don?t have access to the power button, volume buttons and the silence slider while the iPhone 4 is in this case, and you will need to press harder to control the touch screen over the display cover. The RainBallet works with both the AT&T and Verizon versions of the iPhone 4. Be sure to test the case first before you put your iPhone 4 in and jump in the pool with it.